Madiun, E Java (ANTARA News) - At least four hectares of the Teakwood forest in Madiun district, East Java province caught fire on Saturday, and it was immediately extinguished by the local rangers, the Madiun district spokesman said.

The forest fire occurred in Ngadirejo village, Wonoasri sub-district, Madiun district, East Java on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the deputy mayor of Madiun Bambang Cahyo Purnomo said that the ill-fated teakwood forest was planted in 1986.

The material loss owing to the forest fire was estimated to reach Rp5 million, he said, adding that early this month three hectares of teakwood forest also caught fire in Mojorayung area.

"Time prone to the forest fires is from June to October due to the dry seasons," he said.

According to him, around 27 thousand hectares out of the total 31 hectares of forest here are fire-prone.

In effort to overcome the forest fire cases, his office has tightened control over the forest issues.

(B003/B003)

Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012